When you walk into a crazy, beautiful penthouse in downtown LA, the last thing you expect to see is a life-sized Barbie. Yet somehow it makes sense in the home (showpiece) of celebrity designer Nicole Sassaman. Nicole is a leading tastemaker in Los Angeles, having designed and sold more than 100 insane residences throughout SoCal.

Being able to look out over the pristine blue waters of the Pacific with a glass of amazing local wine in hand seems like a dream scenario for most of us. Unless you live in, or are visiting, Monterey, the heart of one of California’s hidden wine region gems and the northern tip of the epically